For wireless communication, a laptop or notebook computer system may include a module that incorporates a radio. The module is typically embodied as a printed circuit board or card on which the radio and other components such as a crystal oscillator, a power supply, and calibration memory are mounted. One end of the card is plugged into a socket on a motherboard, for example, and the opposite end is held in place using a retainer.
Each wireless communication module design is certified by regulatory agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States and similar agencies in other parts of the world. Conformance tests are performed on representative samples of a module to certify the design. Once a design is certified, the manufacturers test the mass-produced modules to make sure they comply with the certified design.
Wireless communication modules of the type just described are high volume commodities. For competitive reasons, it is desirable to reduce their cost and size. However, the need to perform regulatory certification testing and subsequent manufacturing tests limits the types of things that can be done to reduce cost and size.